Small Gods
by girl.with.many.faces
Summary: James Potter was dead. Until a necromancer gave him a magical ring that brought him back to life and gave him godly powers. In exchange, James has to protect his son and stop Voldemort once and for all. But there's more at work here than a crazed necromancer. Throw in a time-traveling Ron Weasley and an apathetic Harry Potter and one will wonder how reality is still intact!
1. Chapter 1

**Alright. This story is going to be pretty crazy and Harry is not going to be the main character. I mean, Harry is going to offer a lot of hints and insights, but the story is mostly going to focus on James and Ron and…well, you'll find out. I have a few surprises I want to add in and it would suck to spoil it all so soon.**

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**All the characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Save for June. June is mine, but…she's not a really important character. Not yet.**

"So, that's it?"

James blinked his eyes open in confusion. His head was foggy.

A dream?

A man stood in front of him. He was tall. Wearing long, black robes and a red mask with black stripes along the cheek and black encircling the eyes.

"You're just going to abandon him?"  
"Abandon…who?" James wondered in confusion.

"Your son."

James tensed and the fog cleared.

This no longer felt like a dream.

"No. Not Harry. Never."  
The man stared at him,  
"Then what do you choose?" He asked James, "You can move on…you can be with your wife. Or you can go back and protect him."  
"Protect…How?" James wanted to know.  
His memories were catching up to him. Voldemort had come and…and then…he'd died. The killing curse had struck him. He was dead.

"Who are you?" James whispered, "Are you…Death?"  
The man shook his head,

"No. I'm a necromancer. I'm giving you a chance. Your body is rotting in the ground, but…Voldemort is still alive. He'll be trying to kill your son. I can create a new body for you and put your soul inside of it. But…in exchange for this chance, you have to help defeat Voldemort, the man known as Tom Morvolo Riddle for good.'  
"Tom…" James paused, "Is…that his real name?"  
"It is." The man said amusedly, "You didn't think that his parents named him 'Voldemort' did you?"  
James felt his face heat up.

Well…maybe?  
Something glowed into existence in front of James. It was…a ring? A silver ring with ancient symbols engraved into it and a blue gem in the center.

"That ring is special. It's called the Ring of Apollo. It holds the power to bring you back to life. All you need to do is slide it on your finger once…Or leave it be an move on. Wait for your child to reach the afterlife and be reunited with you then."  
James stared at the ring. He let out a sigh,

"You know what I'm going to choose, right? I mean, a dad hears their kid is in danger, of course, he'll do whatever he can to protect them."  
Without any hesitation, he reached for the ring, grabbing it in his hands.

He didn't know that coming back to life was possible. But despite all the feelings of goodness that the afterlife had to offer…Harry was more important.

James's world faded to white.

The man's voice echoed,

"One more thing…that ring is one of the rings of the gods. There are other ring bearers…Maybe you'll meet someone you know. And in times of trouble, never forget…Egos Dios."

"Egos…Dios?" James whispered.

Then, his eyes flickered open.

"Jamie?" Someone called out, "Jamie Apollo Summers, you get down here this instant!"

"Huh?" James wondered.

He was in…a bedroom? The walls were painted blue and he was laying on a bed next to an open window. The summer breeze filtered in, causing the curtains to move up and down as though they were breathing.

"Jamie Summers!" The voice came again angrily.

"Um…y-yes?" James wondered.

Was that person…talking to him?

The door opened and a woman with long, brown hair entered, blue eyes glaring at him.

Who was she? What was going on?  
And then, James saw himself reflected in the mirror at the end of the bed.

A young boy of about ten or eleven with blond hair and blue eyes. He looked quite handsome. In fact, he looked a lot like how James had looked at that age, but with all the wrong coloring.

"There's…a woman here." The woman that James was unfamiliar with said, "She says that…" She shook her head, "Just come with me for now, Jamie. Hopefully…hopefully we can get this all sorted. I hardly believe it!"

James, confused, got up out of the bed, wondering what the hell was happening. He looked own, noticing that he was wearing a ring on the ring finger of his left hand.

It hadn't been a dream.

This was…reality? But…he was so confused.

He followed her down the stairs anyways, then relaxed when he came across a familiar face.

It was Professor McGonagall!

But…what was she doing here.

"You are Jamie Summers, is that right?" McGonagall asked him.

"Um, yes, ma'am." James said.

Well…he wasn't, but…he still had no idea what was going on.

That weird necromancer guy…he's said that he'd put James into a new body…He hadn't put him into some kid's body, right?

"Jamie is my sister's child." The woman from before told McGonagall, "I'm his aunt. June. My sister, April ran away when she was eighteen. We didn't hear anything from her but…about a month ago, April died in an accident. I didn't even know she had a son until child services informed me. I just…don't understand any of this." She shook her head.

_You and me both, lady_, James thought privately.

"Do you know anything about his father?" McGonagall asked June curiously.

"No. Nothing." June shook her head, "Only that, I suspect he had a strange taste in names. Apollo is not a name my sister would choose…that's Jamie's middle name." She seemed to be rambling. Like a woman in hysterics.

In fact, James wondered if she wasn't under some sort of spell, because no he had a good idea as to what his background was.

"I suppose it's possible he was a wizard…" McGonagall seemed to contemplate this, "Alright. An introductory, then. I am Minerva McGonagall. The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your nephew, Jamie Summers is a wizard."  
"Um…" James trailed off, not sure what to say here.

Well, duh? He knew that? But…they didn't know he knew that, so…

"I suppose it's a lot to take in." McGonagall said sympathetically. "Perhaps a demonstration?" She took out her wand, then with a wave, she transfigured the vase on the coffee table into a bird. It flew around the room, then settled back on the table and returned to being a vase.

James blinked.

Was this what it was like for muggleborns? This was the introduction into the magical world?  
"Perhaps you've noticed strange things happening around you?" McGonagall drew James's attention back to her, "Things you can't explain?"  
"Um, well…" James tried to think back to some of the accidental magic he had done as a kid, "I can make people's hair change colors. I can levitate objects around if I concentrate…"  
June's eyes widened with surprise,  
"Truly?" She wondered, "Well…I suppose you haven't been here that long for me to notice…" She looked more convinced now, attention traveling to McGonagall, "And…Jamie can attend this school of yours…Hogwarts?"  
McGonagall nodded,  
"I have his acceptance letter here." She looked down at James and smiled somewhat softly, "Would you like to read it?"  
"Yes please." James said without hesitation.

He was still reeling from the fact that he was a kid again!

He opened up the letter and let out a gasp.

This wasn't a Hogwarts letter! He tried not to let anything show on his face.

_To James Potter_

_By now you know your background. June Summers always wanted children but is incapable of it. I used the DNA from the corpses of April Summers and your own dead body to create the body you are currently in._

_Harry Potter starts his first year of Hogwarts on September first._

_Darkness stirs at Hogwarts. Make sure your child doesn't fall victim to it._

_Your Necromancer_

And then the words started to morph. Moving around on the page, until James recognised it as the standard Hogwarts letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Mr. Summers,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

James bit his lower lip, then looked over at his aunt,

"Er…can I go?"

June paused, thinking about it,

"May I see the letter?"  
James handed the letter to her. She read it over, thinking about it.

"Where are we supposed to get the supplies?" She looked up at McGonagall, "I mean…I can't imagine most of this stuff is sold at your local mall." She shook her head, "And…what about fees? How much would this cost? I mean, a magical school is brilliant and all, but what about other things? What if Jamie would rather pursue a career in the non-magical world? What classes do you offer?"  
McGonagall discussed options with her and told her each and ever class they taught, explaining them all in excruciating detail.

Was this what it was usually like for muggleborns? James wondered.

June seemed worried about all this.

"Would you like to go to Diagon Alley?" McGonagall asked, "We can set up a date to go. I'll take you."  
James knew this part.

June hesitantly nodded her head. She knew that the chance for any kid to study magic was something that couldn't be passed up.

But she still worried.

Harry…if Harry was attending his first year…

That meant he was eleven-years-old.

Harry was eleven.

He'd missed ten years of his son's life.

James felt his hands clench into fists.  
He needed to see Harry. He wanted to see him now. He wanted to run to him…only he had no idea where he'd be running to.

It was a horrible feeling. It left him helpless and confused. Restless and annoyed.

All he could do was wait and it felt horrible.

McGonagall left leaving James to become better acquainted with his Aunt June.

June was a kind woman, James discovered. She had a steady job working at a law firm and made quite a bit of money. She could probably afford a much bigger house. But the house they were in had once belonged to her parents and she had many fond memories there.

Jamie Summers was her last remaining family.

Her parents had died in a car crash and her sister, Jamie Summers's mother had died from a drug overdose.

June had been sure that her family line was over. Until Jamie came.

According to the papers, Jamie's mother had dumped him with a neighbour and she'd rarely come around. Jamie Summers hadn't known his mother at all.

Apparently, her name had been April Summers and she'd lived a life of drug abuse, going in and out of rehab clinics after being forced their by her sister saying that if she wanted any money from her, she'd go there.

And she had…briefly.

June was a bit doting, actually. She reminded James vaguely of his own mother. She wanted to spoil him, and tried her best to hold back. But James got the sense that if he really wanted something from her, he'd probably get it.

He decided not to push it though. It didn't feel right. He was basically an imposter…even if he was, technically, genetically related to this woman.

On August Eighteenth, James and June met up with McGonagall in a small café near The Leaky Cauldron. The transfiguration professor took them to the entrance to Diagon Alley and James had to force himself to look in awe or to look surprised when he saw it.

A good frame of reference was June's face.

Diagon had changed a bit, James noted.

There were some new shops here and there. He didn't really have time to slow down and look. They stopped at Gringotts first where June exchanged some money for Galleons and Sickles, opening up a vault for him for future use.

They then walked down the alley and James was allowed to take a look at some of the newer stores. A broom store selling a Nimbus Two Thousand. The newest model or brooms.

James nearly drooled over the display, but held himself back.

A new sweets shop, a clothing store. The apothecary had been updated with new paint and a new color scheme…

They stopped there to pick up some things for potions. Then they got a telescope, a set of scales, a cauldron, the standard for first years.

Then the robes. Standard black robes, a hat, and a nice cloak.

Then there were the books. Some of the books were different from what James had gotten in his first year originally. The defense book, although that was always different considering all the teachers that came and went…it looked like the transfiguration textbook got an update to a new edition, as did charms.

"Were you thinking about getting a pet?" McGonagall asked them.

"Pet?" James looked over at June, wondering if she'd let him have one, "The letter said, cat, owl or toad, right? Owls are used to deliver letters, right? That way, we could stay in contact."  
"Actually, we have some school owls which are free for anyone to use." McGonagall said, interrupting them.

James weighed the pros and cons of getting an owl, then decided he was fine without.

"That's fine then. I'm not sure what my schedule will be like, or if I'll have the time to look after a pet properly…For now, maybe we should talk about this next year…or something?"

June smiled, looking quite proud of him,

"I think that's an excellent idea. We'll revisit the topic next year. And now that I know about the owls, you'd better send me letters. Maybe not every day, but…every week or every other day. Just so I know you're okay."

James nodded. He could definitely do that.

He still felt guilty over his intrusion on her life.

It wasn't fair…But he couldn't drop the charade. He needed to make sure Harry was okay. If he dropped it and June abandoned him…he might not ever get to see his son. He might not have any chances to protect him.

It made him feel awful…but there was little he could do.

"Now, last on our list, a wand." McGonagall said, "Just this way."  
She led them down towards the other end of Diagon Alley.

Ollivander's Wand Shop.

One of the shops that definitely hadn't changed.

Actually, James didn't think the place had changed since it's founding three hundred and eighty two B.C.

It was rickety and grey. Tattered as though it were half-rotted.

The only thing keeping it structurally sound was magic. June looked nervous as she entered the building with James and McGonagall.

Ollivander was there, putting a box on one of the shelves. The wand-maker looked down at them. His blue eyes landing on James. He then descended the ladder.

He turned to them again, eyes traveling back to James.

"Odd." He said, "I seem to be getting the most peculiar sense of Déjà vu…I can't claim to know why. That seems to be happening a lot lately…"  
James's eyes widened.

He didn't recognise him…did he?

He quickly tried to pretend like he had no idea what he was talking about.  
"Well then." Ollivander said, "Step up here, young man. Let's get you measured."

James approached the wand maker hesitantly. He was honestly worried that too much time spent around him might give away his identity.

"Raise your wand arm for me." Ollivander said.

James raised his left hand and Ollivander started measuring…everything.

Yup. Just as James had remembered it.

"That's an interesting ring." Ollivander's eyes fell on the ring on James's left hand ring finger.

James looked at the ring and shrugged his shoulders.

"May I ask where you got it?"

James looked over his shoulder, noting that June appeared curious as well.

"I didn't buy it for him." She shook her head.

"It's a memento." James lied, "It belonged to my dad…supposedly."  
His mother was a muggle and if Ollivander recognised the ring as magical, then there was no way he'd be able to explain away that discrepancy.

Ollivander hummed,

"Interesting."

"Is there something strange about it?" June asked him.

"Not strange per say…But if I'm not mistaken, I'd say it was some sort of magical heirloom."  
"You're sure?" McGonagall asked him.

"These eyes don't lie." Ollivander said, "That ring was, at the very least, made with magic."

"So…that means my father was probably a wizard too?" James said innocently.

"That…would make sense." McGonagall thought about this, "What do you know about your father, Mister Summers?"  
"Nothing." James said, "I don't even know what he looks like or if he's even alive."  
Hopefully, they wouldn't look too much into it.

"You don't think his father might…I mean, that he might…take Jamie?" June was a bit worried about this.  
"I can't say for certain." McGonagall told her, "If I were to guess…I'd say Jamie was born during the last wizarding war. A lot of wizards died. It's possible to get his heritage checked at the ministry. They tend to keep track of old bloodlines. If his father is from a more recent bloodline, however, you might not find anything. Still, you never know. Maybe your father left you something."

James shrugged his shoulders,

"I'm not sure I want to know. Mum seemed to resent him."

It was the only excuse he could come up with for not going. If he got tested, his own name would come up and he definitely didn't want people to think he'd cheated on Lily!

June seemed uncertain,

"You know, it's okay if you want to find out, Jamie. If you don't want to do it now…I think we should try to find out at some point in the future." She finished up.

She didn't want to be selfish. Jamie might have a father out there, and it would be a nice thing if they had a relationship.

"Alright…" Jamie trailed off, trying to think about the best way to put off that revelation as long as possible.

Ollivander scampered off, disappearing among the shelves. He returned with a bundle of boxes in his arms.

He set them down on the counter and opened one of them up.

"Try this one." He said, "Fourteen inches, Rowen, phoenix feather core. Give it a wave." He gestured for him to comply.

James gave the wand a wave. A vase exploded into a million different pieces of glace.

June gave a small jump, but Ollivander hardly paid it any attention at all.

"Not that one." He said, taking it from his hand and replacing it with a new one.

"Eleven twelve and a half inches. Ivy. Dragon heartstrings."  
James was about to give it a wave before it was snatched away from him.  
"No, no! Try this one."  
James felt something warm pass through his arm when he took it. This was the one. He knew before he even waved it.

Well, third time's the charm, it seems.

Red sparks shot out from the top.

"Yes, perfect! Bravo! Thirteen inches, mahogany with dragon heartstrings. Good for transfiguration." Ollivander applauded, "I'm sure we'll be expecting good things from him in your class, Professor McGonagall."

McGonagall's lips twitched up into a slight smile,

"I suppose I'll have to keep my eye on you, Mister Summers."  
Jamie beamed at her.  
She had no idea…

James pretended to crack open his textbooks and read them. He already knew all this stuff though, and it was all ridiculously easy.

He felt restless. Hogwarts was getting closer and closer. He wanted to see Harry so badly. And Lily…

Honestly, he was just starting to feel terribly lonely.

He missed his family. His wife and son…

June was nice though. She seemed to notice he was feeling down and though she tried to talk about it with him, James wasn't able to reveal the truth. Not to her.

How was he supposed to tell her something like that anyways?

But she tried to cheer him up as best she could.

James pretended like it was helping, even though it wasn't really.

He had learned a little bit about Harry thought from his time in Flourish and Blotts.

His son was famous for surviving the killing curse. Something that shouldn't have been possible.

That meant that Lily's sacrificial spell had worked.

So why was Voldemort still alive? How was he still alive?

The person who had brought James back…who was he? James knew that necromancy was illegal, but only because those that practiced it only controlled corpses of the deceased. Not actual dead people. Inferi were terrible creatures that just kept on attacking until their victims were nothing more but ribbons of blood and flesh.

He'd come across them during the war. They weren't something to mess with.

But bringing someone back from the dead? That should be impossible.

But James had felt his pulse several times. He had a heartbeat. This body was a living, breathing human body.

As for the ring…James looked down at the metal band around his finger, there was something strange about it.

He knew it was a powerful magical artifact. Mostly likely, it was activated using that phrase…What was it again?  
"Egos Dios?" James spoke, only for the ring to shine, then envelop him in a soft glow.

"W-what? What's happening?" James wondered.

When the light faded, James could feel waves of power washing over him. Like…he could _feel_ his magic in a way he never had before.

In his hand was a golden staff with a sun design in the center suspended by a round frame.

He was wearing white clothing. A white, loose top held up with a golden chain that went around his neck. Loose, white pants that went down to his mid-calves and strange looking sandals tied around the bare parts of his legs. There was something on his head…  
He turned to the mirror to see that it was a white, transparent veil. On top was a ring of leaves, or vine that went around his crown.

"What…the hell?" James wondered, "Why do I look like a bride?"

_The power of the gods…_

James tensed a bit.

Who was that?

He looked around the room. He'd heard someone speak…just now.

"The power of the gods?" James wondered, "What, so I have…god powers or something?"

He shivered a little, then waved his staff around. He gave it a small test, trying out various things. The staff transformed into a bow. When he drew back the string, an arrow appeared made out of some sort of magical energy.

It vanished when he wanted it to.

"This is crazy." James thought out loud.

All he needed to do was just…think about something and it happened!

Then, the outfit dissipated. He was back in his normal, muggle clothes. He looked down at the ring on his finger.

That was dangerous.

This ring…it was definitely powerful.

Hadn't that necromancer called it the ring of Apollo?


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so…this is my least popular story. I've noticed that a lot of stories that don't star Harry Potter himself don't seem to receive a lot of attention. I wonder why that is?**

**I think there is a whole load of potential when it comes to stories that don't star Harry specifically. In this case, the events are going to revolve around Harry, but the star of the show is going to be James Potter.**

**Now, without further ado,**

**I do not own Harry Potter!**

"Be good, alright?" June said to James as they stood out on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, "I know it's hard, but please try to eat some vegetables while you're there. I don't want you coming back as a round balloon. And try not to eat to many sweets…and write me. I need to know that you're okay and that you haven't suffered some horrible magical accident or something."  
James smiled at her,

"I will. No worries. I'll write as often as I can." James promised her, "I'm sure I'll be fine."

Alright, so, he didn't know that he was going to be just fine. Voldemort was still out there somewhere, plotting revenge against his son. Harry was oblivious to all of this and James had no way of knowing when the maniac would pop up and attack him!

Harry needed to be here somewhere…

He would look very different from when he was a baby, James thought. The books said he had a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

He'd also had Lily's eyes when he was little. He'd never seen anyone else with eyes like that.

That was when he saw him struggling with a trunk. A boy with messy black hair, perhaps wilder than James's hair had been. Large, almond shaped green eyes so identical to the woman he loved. He wasn't wearing glasses. He must have gotten Lily's eye sight, James figured. Beneath his bangs, James thought he saw a pale scar on his forehead.

He also wore clothes that were several sizes too big.

What in the world? James wondered, frozen a moment, before making his way over to the boy.

"How about I help with that?" James suggested.

"Oh. Thank you." The boy said, as though he was surprised to see another living being on the platform.

"It's no trouble." James had to resist the urge to stare, "Are…are you a first year too?"  
He needed to start a conversation.

"Yes." The boy said as James helped him lug his trunk up into the caravan. James mentally cursed his scrawny, eleven-year-old arms.

"You too?" The boy looked at him.

"Yeah." James said with an awkward smile, "Did…you want to get a compartment together?"  
"That would be nice." The boy looked greatly relieved, "My name's Harry."

James mentally cheered. He'd found him. This was his son! This was Harry! He looked so cute too! With Lily's beautiful eyes and a pale face that still had some babyish qualities to it.

It took all that James had to refrain himself from hugging him then and there.

But that would be weird for Harry who thought James was just some random eleven-year-old.

"I'm James – ie." James gave a cough, nearly having introduced himself by his real name, "S-sorry. Choked on myself." He fibbed, "I'm Jamie Summers. Nice to meet you, Harry."  
"Nice to meet you…" He seemed…kind of out of it, James noted. His voice was a little distant and his eyes just a little droopy. But he did smile. It was a really sweet, but small smile.

It seemed genuine, if not a little shy.

"So…" James trailed off. He really wanted to learn the story behind those clothes his son was wearing. He looked like he'd grown up on the streets or something.

"Did you grow up in the magical world?" James decided to ask him instead.

That was what kids often talked about on their first day, right?  
"No…" Harry said, tilting his head to the side, "I didn't even know about magic until I got my letter."  
What? James hadn't been expecting that. Out loud, he said,

"Me too. I live with my aunt in the muggle world."  
"Me too." Harry paused, "My aunt and uncle. I live with them."  
Aunt and uncle? James wondered who in the world Harry meant by that.

He should be living with Sirius…

Where the hell was Sirius!?

"Jamie?" Harry tilted his head to the side with concern.

"I-it's nothing." James shook his head, "My parents are both dead too, er, I hardly knew them though."  
"Me too." Harry said, causing James to wince.

Right…Harry hadn't gotten to know them.

They picked out a compartment, taking a seat and James closed the door.

But he could change that, James thought. He could learn all there was to know about Harry. Although, Harry wouldn't know he was his dad.

"I…um…" James hesitated, trying to come up with a topic of conversation.  
Harry blinked, waiting for him to speak.

"I…noticed you had a bird cage with your stuff. Do you…have a pet?" James asked him.

Harry smiled a little. It was a smile of fondness.

"Yes. I have a snowy owl. Her name is Hedwig. Hagrid bought her for me. I didn't want her to be locked away the whole ride to Hogwarts, so she's going to meet me there. Hedwig is my first friend. And my first birthday present."  
First birthday present? Seriously? James wanted to pull out his hair.

It was obvious that Harry had been neglected or…dare he even think it?

But how the hell was he supposed to get him away from that situation? If…if there was a situation.

There was a knock and their compartment door opened. A boy with red hair and bright blue eyes stood at the doorway.

"Could I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

"Okay." Harry said.

The boy paused, he squinted at Harry in confusion,

"Where are your glasses?"

"Glasses?" Harry repeated, looking up at him in confusion.

"Yeah, you…" The boy blinked, "Harry?"  
Harry tilted his head to the side,  
"I'm sorry…have we met?"

There was a long silence. James looked between the two of them, wondering what was going on.

"Who…are you?" The boy said, still staring at Harry, as though he were some sort of alien.

"Harry…" Harry introduced himself in a somewhat quiet voice.

"But…" The boy protested, like something wasn't making sense to him.

"Who are you?" Harry asked him.

"Ron." The boy, Ron said in a still confused, somewhat weak voice, "Ron Weasley."

Weasley? James had met Molly and Arthur Weasley. The Prewitts had been members of the Order of the Phoenix alongside James and Lily. Arthur and Molly hadn't been members. They'd had children to think about. Something that James had started to regret.

He and Lily had wanted kids. They'd been planning to wait until the war was over. But Lily had gotten pregnant sooner than anticipated and though they'd tried backing out to raise Harry…somehow the war had found them with the telling of a prophecy. A prophecy about Harry. One James didn't even know.

Dumbledore liked to hold his cards close to his chest. Something that James had honestly come to resent. Especially when it had come to his son's safety.

His reasoning had been that if or when Voldemort came for them and he learned of the whole prophecy, it might put Harry in a lot of danger.

"Who are you?" Ron looked over at James.

"Er, my name is Jamie Summers." James quickly told him his new name.

Ron Weasley was a strange kid, James thought. Ron's eyes traveled downward. Just for a moment. Then back up at James's face.

It was like he didn't really believe him.

There was a tense silence.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" The trolley lady asked, interrupting them.

Ron jumped a little.

"Ah, no thank you. Nothing for me." He said quickly.

"I'll get a couple of chocolate frogs." James decided.

Harry looked at the snack lady, then back over at Ron and James.

"What tastes good?"  
Because he'd never had magical sweets before. He'd hardly had any muggle sweets.

"Chocolate frogs are good." James said, "You can have one of mine."  
"I brought some money with me from my parents' vault." Harry admitted.

"Well, you can make a game out of the Ever-Flavoured beans." Ron said, "But you have to be careful, because they really are 'every flavour.' If you just want something to eat…chocolate frogs are a safe choice. Pumpkin pasties are good too. Kind of like pumpkin pie. Cauldron cakes are chocolate cakes with a sort of melted chocolate in the middle. But they're a little more expensive."  
Harry's eyes widened in wonderment.

"I want a pumpkin pasty, please." He looked at the trolley lady expectantly.

The woman smiled brightly,

"Certainly, dear. That will be one sickle and five knuts."

Harry fished out the money and handed it over. James paid for the chocolate frogs. Harry took a bite of his desert and paused.

"Do you like it?" James asked him.

Harry nodded,

"It's good."

He didn't say much more than that.

James got the feeling that Harry wasn't very expressive. A smile seemed to be the most emotion he'd seen from him so far.

Ron Weasley looked worried about…something. Though what he was worried about, James didn't know.

He was a strange kid. He'd been acting all weird since he'd entered their compartment.

Maybe it was because Harry was famous?

But it bothered James a little that the first thing he'd asked about were glasses. Glasses that Harry didn't have.

The compartment door opened after a soft knocking.

A girl stood in the doorway looking somewhat nervous.

Lily? James was surprised.

This girl looked just like Lily when she'd been that age. He could remember their meeting like it was yesterday and this…she looked just like her…but with a different coloring. Brown hair instead of red. Grey eyes instead of green.

A boy stood behind her. He looked a little like Sirius but with brown hair instead of black.

The same eyes though.

What the hell?  
"Hi." The girl spoke, causing Ron's eyes to go wide.  
The pour boy looked even more confused than he had previously.

"Could we…sit here? Everywhere else is full, and…" Her eyes traveled to Harry. She seemed to be having trouble looking away from him.

James scooted a little closer to him protectively. Just in case.

"That ring…" The boy behind the Lily-look-alike murmured.

James tensed, noticing the boy's eyes were on his ring.

"What of it?" James put his other hand on top of it. And then he noticed that the boy had a ring of a very similar design.  
Silver, with strange symbols engraved into the band, and a grey gem in the center. The girl had a ring as well, although hers had a purple gem in it, and it seemed a little more…elegant. Feminine?

The girl looked particularly wary of James, and then her eyes widened. She smiled, as though hiding some kind of big secret, then took a seat on James's other side, causing him to scoot closer to Harry.

"I'm Ellie." The girl, Ellie introduced herself, "Ellie Black."  
"Black?" James whispered, "Like…"  
"Regulus Black was our father." Ellie said quickly, causing James to blink in confusion.

Ron Weasley frowned at her.

"We're twins." Ellie said, "That's my brother…Regulus Black the second. You can call him Reggie Junior."  
"No, you can't." Regulus sent her a glare.

Ellie smiled sweetly at him, then turned to James.

"What's your name?"  
"Jamie Summers." James shifted a bit.

"Summers…" Ellie trailed off, "Are you a muggleborn?"  
"Er…possibly." James said, "Although, we think my father was a wizard…"

Regulus Junior didn't sneer like Regulus Senior would have at the mention of his parents' heritage, James noted.

He looked away from him with an indecipherable expression on his face.

What was with this strange atmosphere? James didn't know what to make of it.

It was like…everyone knew something he didn't. Save for Harry who was watching the passing scenery with an all too out-of-it expression.

James opened up one of the chocolate frogs he'd bought, pausing when he saw Harry's eyes turn on him. They were wide with worry.

"Ah, no, they aren't real frogs." James said quickly.

"But they ribbit…" Harry said quietly.

"Er, yes.' James shifted a little, "They're chocolate, but they're charmed to act like frogs."

"They brought the chocolate to life?" Harry said, looking worried.

"Er, no." James tried to reassure him again, "I mean…" He honestly hadn't thought about the sentience of chocolate frogs in too much depth.

"They've only got two good jumps in them before they just…return to being regular chocolate." James tried again, it's just a charm to make them seem like they're alive. They aren't."  
"Then why's it trying to escape?" Harry's eyes were growing watery with tears.

James froze. He wasn't going to cry, right? Right? He was eleven-years-old! James hadn't cried at that age…But…

"No! O-okay, I'll wait until the magic wears off, alright?" He said hastily.

Ellie giggled, putting a hand to her mouth.

James shot her a look,

"It's not that funny!"

Really, it wasn't. These were a bunch of kids. He should be able to handle a bunch of kids.

That smug look on Ellie's face was…familiar. It looked a lot like the smug look Lily got on her face when she was teasing him.

James furrowed his brow, squinting at her in confusion.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" Ellie raised an eyebrow, "I'm not sure whether if I should be insulted or if I should keep teasing you."  
"Huh?" James wondered.

"Hi, sweetie." Ellie said with a smile.

James stared at her. It clicked.

"Lil-" He shook his head.

"Yup." Ellie said.

"Little?" Harry looked between the two of them questioningly.

"Uh…Little Ellie!" James exclaimed suddenly, "We've…met before."

"Oh." Harry said, apparently losing interest, then tilting his head to the side in thought, "But…weren't you raised in the muggle world?"  
"Er…yes." James said.

"And Ellie was raised in the magical world?"

"Uh…" James trailed off, suddenly trying to think up an excuse.

"Reggie Junior and I were raised in the muggle world." Ellie said easily, "We were in an orphanage, until the Tonks family found us."  
"Ah." Harry said, "I see. What a coincidence."

"Y-yes." James stuttered out, looking over Ellie who…was apparently his wife, "Coincidence…"  
"That means you're really lucky, right?" Harry said to James, "A lot of first years are going into this blind and without any friends. It's scary for them. But you have Ellie to make you braver."

James stared at his son, wondering how anyone could be that cute.

It must be his fatherly instincts kicking in. He'd only had a year to hold his son before he'd died. He'd only had a year with him…and then eleven years had passed in an instant!

But Harry was so damn adorable!

In an instant, James wrapped his arms around Harry. The boy winced slightly, then blinked in confusion.

"Warm." Harry whispered.

"Ah, sorry." James drew away, "It's just…for some reason, I was overcome with an overwhelming desire to hug you."  
Well…there was no other explanation for it.

"Speaking of twins." Ron Weasley spoke, and James was rather glad that someone could come up with something to distract from the awkwardness.

"You two look almost identical." The red-head narrowed his eyes in suspicion at James, "The coloring is different. But you could be the same…"  
Okay, so he knew that Ellie was Lily, but who the hell was Ron Weasley?

It seemed he was trying to figure out who James was too.

The atmosphere was tense. It could have been cut with a knife! Or with a girl opening up the compartment door. Her bushy hair was everywhere and her brown eyes searched them up and down.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

"Ah." Harry's eyes widened with realization.

He took the remaining chocolate frog off of James's lap and held it out to the bushy-haired girl who looked most confused by the gesture.

"Toad?"

"No…" Lily trailed off, giving her son an odd look, "That's a chocolate frog, Harry. Not a pet." She looked at the girl and shook her head, "We haven't seen any toads."

"Right…" The girl looked at Harry oddly, "Well, thank you for trying to help." She closed the door and left before anyone could say anything else on the matter.

James drew in a deep breath wondering what was going on in Harry's head. He almost looked like he was in a daze.

It worried him.


	3. Chapter 3

**I have not updated this one in a while! Okay, so…more explanation during the train journey and a few other things here and there.**

**I think that, for now, James is mostly just trying to figure out what the heck is going on.**

**I noticed that in most fics, Lily is portrayed as a 'fiery red-head with a temper,' but I've decided to make her a little different. I have a lot of creative leeway here and I'm going to flesh both her and James out a bit. They're always so idealized, or perfect. Sure, it's touched on that James was a bully, but we don't get to see much outside of that, like what made him redeemable in the first place.**

**I do not own Harry Potter.**

Harry had fallen asleep part-way through their journey. Due to the presence of Ron being there, everything they said was stiff and awkward. They didn't know how they were supposed to interact with each other. So they just…sat there in the compartment in tense silence.

"You three," Ron broke the silence, "shouldn't exist."  
"Huh?" James looked at him in confusion.

Ron Weasley had cold eyes. Eyes colder and harder than any eleven-year-old's eyes should be.

"Regulus Black was killed by inferi." Ron spoke, causing Regulus Junior to tense up.

"No one is supposed to know that." Regulus Black spoke.

Ron's eyes traveled over to him momentarily, then put an arm around Harry protectively, trying to move him away from James. Something that James didn't appreciate.

"Regulus Black died from inferi." Ron repeated, "He never had children. That's not how this was supposed to go. You three never attended Hogwarts. On Harry's first train ride to school, I was supposed to meet him. He was supposed to be alone. Hermione Granger would poke her nose into our compartment. So would Draco Malfoy who would insult me, then Harry would tell him off."  
"What?" James wondered, "What…are you talking about exactly?"  
"What I'm saying is that you three are out of place in this timeline." Ron's cold gaze shifted to the three of them in turn, "Although I have made some small changes, the creation of three magicals should not have been a consequence. Furthermore, Harry's behaviour is wrong. There's something wrong with him."

James and Lily both tensed.

"Get away from him." Lily demanded, taking out her wand.

Ron's eyes traveled to her hand. More specifically, her ring.

"That wand is going to be useless against me. If you want to make threats, I'd use the more powerful conduit you have on you."  
Lily drew in a sharp breath,  
"Get away from my son."  
"Son?" Ron frowned, then his eyebrows went up, "You are…Lily Potter?"

Lily's lips thinned into a straight line. She didn't care that he knew her identity right now. It hardly made any difference.

Their gaze became locked in a staring contest.

"I don't…understand what's happening." James said slowly, placing his arm around Harry's shoulders protectively, "But if you dare try to hurt my son, I will destroy you. I don't care who or what you are."

Ron's eyes moved over to James,

"Pretty high and mighty of you to claim to be James and Lily Potter." Ron said in a voice that sounded as cold as the arctic wind, "Prove it to me."  
"What?" James wondered, "Prove it? I don't even know you…do I?" He couldn't be sure anymore.

The situation was just too strange.

Ron met James's eyes this time,  
"What do you solemnly swear?"

James's face morphed into an expression of confusion,

"You mean…the Marauder's Oath?" How could this kid…although, James was quite sure he wasn't a kid, know about the Marauder's Oath?

"If the next words out of your mouth are anything but the correct answer, I will assume that you are the enemy." Ron stated bluntly, "And you don't want me to be your enemy."  
James drew in a sharp breath,

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."  
Ron dipped his chin. James had given him the correct response, then paused.

"I assume you can cast a patronus? Cast one."  
"Huh? Um…alright." James took out his wand.

"Slowly." Ron said, and not pointed at me.  
James shifted uncomfortably, but did as he said. Tensions were high and if a fight broke out, Harry might wind up in the middle of it. Ron still had a hold on him.

"Expecto Patronum." A stag came out of the tip of his wand.

How was Harry still asleep? James wondered. The patronus looked around the room, then vanished in a silvery mist, having served its purpose.

"I see…" Ron trailed off, "There's only one other person I know of who had a patronus like that…and you currently have your arm around his shoulders."  
"What?" James wondered.

Ron let out a sigh,

"You have the ring of the gods." Ron said, then reached for the chain around his neck, pulling out a ring looped through the silver chain.

"I do as well." Ron informed them.

They all tensed up.  
"Who are you?" Regulus demanded, his knuckles were white as they clenched in their spot on his thighs, "You don't look like anyone I knew."  
"We never met." Ron brushed his concerns away.

"You knew the Marauder's Oath." James shifted a little, "Only Sirius, Remus and…Pettigrew knew about that. And Lily. After the fact." He added in.

Ron dipped his chin,

"I learned it from Harry."  
"From…Harry?" James repeated dumbly, "But Harry wouldn't know. I'm not even sure I ever said it while he was around when he was a baby."

Even if he had then, that would be a stretch.

"Harry learned about the oath from my older twin brothers, Fred and George…Approximately two and a half years from now."  
"What?" James wondered.

"I'm from the future."

The whole compartment was drawn back into silence.

The future?

James opened his mouth to ask him further questions, only for the door to their compartment to open up again.

It was the bushy-haired girl from before.

"We'll be arriving at Hogwarts in a few minutes, so you should get changed." She shifted uncomfortably, "Just thought you should know."  
"Thanks." Ron smiled at her in a fond manner.

There was something in his eyes that James didn't quite get though. An unreadable glimmer that James knew he probably wouldn't understand.

"Harry." Ron gave him a small shake.

The sleeping boy blinked his eyes open sleepily. He was so quiet that the only thing indicating he was actually awake were his softly blinking eyes.

"We're getting close to Hogwarts." Ron told Harry gently, "So, we're going to change into our school robes now."  
Harry dipped his chin in acknowledgement. He started taking off his shirt.

"Um, Harry?" Ron said, "Normally we wait for girls to leave before we start changing."  
"Oh." Harry tilted his head to the side, "Why?"

"Er, well…" Ron trailed off, "It's just what we do. Girls and boys change separately."  
"It's about modesty." Lily told Harry, eyes traveling to James momentarily and the two had a silent conversation.

It was common sense, wasn't it?

Harry's eyes lit up with realization. He pulled his robes on over his head, struggling a moment to get his head through the hole of his top, and then, when the robes draped down over his body, he pulled off his pants from underneath, being careful not to show anymore skin than necessary.

He dipped his head,

"Modesty."  
James raised an eyebrow, not sure if he was amused or bewildered by his son's behaviour.

Lily shook her head,

"I'll step out into the hall so that you boys can change. Harry, since you're changed already, why don't you come with me? The compartment will be a bit crowded I think."  
Harry allowed Lily to pull him away, out the compartment door and into the hall while the boys all changed into their Hogwarts robes.

The door to their compartment opened up and the boys came out, allowing Lily to take her turn changing.

She was fast, pulling her robes on in under a minute.

When the train came to a stop, the students all began to filter off the train.

James's eyes traveled to Ron every now and then. He was worried. If Ron was really a time traveler, then why was he here? What did he want with Harry? What had he meant when he'd said the timeline was all wrong?

Since coming back from the dead, James wasn't about to dismiss the whole 'time travel' thing. Time travel was heavily moderated and most people didn't have the resources or ability to go back for more than a couple of hours.

Something on a grand scale shouldn't be possible.

But Necromancy shouldn't be possible either.

After being resurrected, James wasn't about to throw away the possibility, especially when Ron Weasley had a god ring like he did. Those rings were powerful. James didn't yet know the extent of their power, nor their purpose. Had the necromancer created them? In which case, was Ron connected to the necromancer?

"Firs' years!" Hagrid called out, "Firs' years! Over here!"

Huh. Hagrid was still working at Hogwarts it seemed, James took the lead as they made their way over to him.

A lot of the kids seemed to huddle close to him, completely unintimidated by his size. Hagrid looked down at them with gentle eyes.

James's own eyes moved back over to Ron once again. He stood between him and Harry, just to make sure there was some distance between the two of them.

There were too many strange things going on for James not to be wary.

Once all the first years had gathered, Hagrid started leading them through the dark forest. James smiled nostalgically. He could remember his first time seeing Hogwarts. He was lucky. Not a lot of parents got to see the way their kid's face lit up when they first saw the magical castle for the first time. He looked over at Harry when he knew they were getting close. When they rounded the corner and Hogwarts came into view, Harry's eyes widened slightly and his lips parted a bit.

For someone who had shown so little a reaction to anything, even something as slight as this made Harry look as though he were in awe of it all.

James couldn't help but wonder why Harry showed so little emotion. It worried him. Did it have something to do with his aunt and uncle? This particular fear nagged at him. He wasn't sure that he'd ever really be able to satisfy it until he knew the truth. Whether his worries were unfounded or not. He prayed that they weren't.

They got into the boats resting on the shores of the Hogwarts lake. James made sure to sit beside Harry. Lily and her twin (Regulus?) got into the same boat, sitting across from them. This forced Ron Weasley to find another boat. He noted that he opted to sit with the bushy-haired girl they'd seen earlier.

"Forward!" Hagrid gave the command.

The boats began to move across the water. It wasn't the fastest ride, but it wasn't meant to be. They all got to look at the castle a long while before their view was blocked by the underground entrance.

"Duck!" Hagrid warned.

Nearly everyone ducked down. Although, James, Lily and Regulus hardly flinched. Only Hagrid was tall enough for that to be necessary. Sometimes the man forgot his own height.

They went along the stream leisurely, until they reached a rocky platform deep within the cave. The boats came to a stop and they all got off.

Hagrid led them up a flight of stairs and into the castle, opening the door to reveal Professor McGonagall who took over as their guide.

Things didn't deviate all that much from James's own introduction to first year. Harry looked around, but seemed to settle down faster than the other children. McGonagall looked older though, James observed.

They made their way into the small chamber across from the Great Hall where McGonagall gave her very familiar speech. It had always been a matter of debate between Remus, James, Sirius and Pettigrew whether or not her speech was rehearsed. Now James knew for certain that it was. Or at least, it hadn't deviated since his time at Hogwarts.

She left them alone.

The ghosts came floating through the room, dropping some not so subtle hints to steer clear of the school poltergeist.

James hadn't considered until then that this might also have been a rehearsal as well to steer the firsties away from Peeves.

McGonagall came back and the ghosts quickly vanished through the opposite wall.

"We're ready for you." She said.

She ordered them to line up in rows of two and quickly led them through the now open doors of the Great Hall.  
They walked passed the sea of students dressed in black robes and towards the front by the teacher's desk which was horizontal to the rest.

Was that Snape? James wondered, looking up at the man, stunned to see him, of all people sitting at the professor's table.

Oh boy, this was going to be a long year…or a long seven years. Maybe he'd quit? That seemed like wishful thinking…Still, James though Snape hated kids. Or, at least in school he'd shown very little patience for the younger years.

They stopped at the corner of the teacher's table.

The hat, sitting on its usual three-legged stool opened up it's torn flap and began to sing.

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

When the applause died, McGonagall unrolled her parchment and explained,

"When I call your name, you will come up here to be sorted." She glanced down at her parchment, "Abbott, Hannah."  
A girl with bouncing blond pigtails made her way up to the stool and sat down. The hat wasn't on her head long before it called out,

"Hufflepuff!"  
The Hufflepuff table all clapped as Hannah got off the stool and made her way over to her new table, welcomed by her housemates.

Lily's new las name and Regulus's were close to the beginning and they were both quickly called up.

"Black, Ellie!"

Lily walked up to the stool looking nervous.

Was she just trying to act like the other first years or was she actually worried?

Normally James could tell what his wife was thinking, or he had some vague idea. But he found himself strangely unable to tell. Maybe because he hadn't been expecting genuine concern over being sorted again? He made a mental note to talk to her later.

"Gryffindor!" The hat announced.

There was a round of applause as Lily made her way over to the table of kids.  
"Black, Regulus!" McGonagall's eyebrows rose when the boy walked up to the stool.

"Slytherin!" The hat said.

His sorting had taken a while longer.

One at a time the first years were called up. Neville went into Gryffindor after some debate. James figured this was the kid that bushy-haired girl had been helping before. The one who lost his toad. He hadn't realized his last name had been Longbottom. That meant he was Frank's and Alice's kid. James looked him over. He looked a lot like Alice, now that he got a better look at him. The pour boy was more nervous than all of the other first-years combined. Well, Harry seemed like a timid boy as well…although in a different way. Harry didn't appear to be nervous. He was just quiet. Kind of listless, actually.

Hermione Granger was the name of the bushy-haired girl. She took a long time as well but was eventually sorted into Gryffindor.

"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called.

Harry walked forward. He didn't look like he was afraid, James observed. Not even a little bit. His expression was blank when he sat down on the stool. McGonagall placed the hat on his head. It completely covered his eyes.

The hat took a while.

It took longer than Hermione Granger or Neville Longbottom.

James was starting to get worried after the five-minute mark, but then…

"Gryffindor!" The hat announced.

The Gryffindor table burst with applause. Perhaps the loudest applause they'd heard so far.

"We got Potter! We got Potter!" Two identical redheads cheered.

The hat was taken off of Harry's head and the listless boy walked over to the Gryffindor table. He took a seat near the very end. James wondered if he even noticed all the applause he got, let alone the stares.

James couldn't help but smile proudly though, in spite of the unwanted attention. His son was in Gryffindor.

He probably would have been proud even if he'd been sorted into Slytherin, but still…he couldn't help the thrill of pure joy coursing through him.

"Summers, Jamie!" McGonagall called him up.

James made his way up to the stool and took a seat. The hat was placed over his head, covering his eyes.

He felt a bit ridiculous being sorted again. Then again, there weren't that many people who were allowed such an honour.

The hat gave a grunt,

_Another one of the dearly departed. I had hoped there might be one more. What an interesting year it will be…James Potter, I only sort once. You will have to go to Gryffindor._

Well, that was fine, James thought. He realized the hat could have probably ratted them out. That was why Lily had been so nervous!  
The hat chuckled,

_You never were one to think things through, were you? However, I was hoping I would have the opportunity to warn you. About your son…_

Harry? James wondered, feeling fear clench his heart.

Was there something wrong with him? He'd suspected that something was…off. Was it serious?

_Quite serious. _Was the sorting hat's mental reply, _I've never seen anything quite like it before. Keep your eyes open, James Potter. There are two Harry's._

What? James wondered. Two Harry's? What did he mean by that?

_I cannot say what is inside the minds of those I sort._ Was the hat's reply, _I can only warn you. Your son is in grave danger. Someone has awoken something. A darkness the likes of which should never have been awoken._

"Wait –"

James was cut off when the hat shouted out,

"Gryffindor!"

The table clapped. James felt disappointed when the hat was taken off his head.

He wanted to know more. What had the hat meant?

He walked over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat beside Harry, smiling at him and deciding that for the time being, all he could do was pretend everything was okay. He would tell Lily everything later.

James watched the sorting.

It was a while before only a few students were left and Ron's name was called.

"Weasley, Ron!"

Ron approached the stool and sat down.

A little less than a minute passed before the hat called out, "Gryffindor!"

He made his way down to the table and took a seat as well.

The last student to be called was "Zabini, Blaise" who was sorted into Slytherin.

After some more applause, Dumbledore stood up from his seat.

Ugh! James grimaced; those robes were blinding!

"Before we begin, I'd like to say a few words, and here they are! Nitwit, Augment, Blubber, Tweak, Thank you!"

Food appeared on the silver platters and the kids all began to dig in.

James looked over at Dumbledore once again. Hadn't he and Sirius made a bet about something like that? About Dumbledore's fashion sense not possibly getting any worse?  
He really needed to figure out what had happened to Sirius.

"Me mam's a witch an me dad's a muggle." A boy said.

Somehow the kids had gotten on the topic of blood status.

"He didn't know she was magical until after their wedding. Nasty surprise that was."

"But they're still together?" Someone asked.

"Yup." The boy said, "Still together."  
"Sounds like your father's a good man." Lily said, "That could have been real ugly."  
"Yeah." The boy agreed, suddenly a lot less cheerful.

"My mum and dad were both wizards." Neville Longbottom said.

James looked over at Harry. His eyes were dropping, like he was about to fall asleep right then and there.

"Harry?" James asked him, "You alright?"  
"Mn." Harry dipped his chin, "Sleepy."

"Try to stay awake a bit longer." James encouraged him, "Desert should be here soon, then the prefects will show us to our dorms and you can sleep, okay?"  
"Mn."

"What about you?" The boy who'd been speaking before asked James.

"Huh? Me?" James paused, "Well, my mum was a muggle…but we think my dad was a wizard because he left behind a magical heirloom for me. I'm either a muggleborn or a half-blood. Either way, it doesn't matter to me."

Ron was watching them out of the corner of his eye. It took James a moment to notice though.

What was his deal anyways?

The whole mystery surrounding Ron Weasley was starting to grate on his nerves.

Well, whatever.

When things calmed down, desert came. Harry put a lot of sweets on his plate. James noticed Lily itching to jump in and stop him from taking so much.

Harry took a bite of cake and his eyes went round. He looked down at his plate with awe.

Had he never had cake before? James wondered.

He then thought back to what he'd learned of Harry's current living situation and winced when he realized that could be a real possibility.

He'd talk to Lily later.

"Fluffy." Harry whispered.

"What?" James raised an eyebrow.

What was he talking about? The cake?

The noise level in the hall was rising. Dumbledore stood up before it could get too loud and began the start-of-term announcements.

Nothing deviating from what James already knew. He did manage to pick out the new resident pranksters of Hogwarts, however.

Twin red-heads whose names he had yet to pick up. But from the look Dumbledore had shot them when talking about the Forbidden Forest being, well, forbidden, James saw their high-five and figured he had a good idea as to what he might end up dealing with.

Before leaving they were forced to sing the Hogwarts school song.

A song James had happily suppressed from his memory until that moment.

After that, the prefects led the first years to their respective common rooms. James kept an eye on Harry the whole time.

He had a bad feeling.

Something wasn't right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chapter! I'm having a lot of fun with this story. It's kind of a weird one with a lot of it based off of Kamichama Karin. If you haven't seen the anime, you really should. But, obviously, the two Harrys aren't the same situation as Himeka's. And there is going to be a big, bad antagonist very soon that has nothing to do with the God Rings. Furthermore, the rings themselves are going to have a different origin and powers from the anime.**

**Originally I wrote this story and they used cards rather than rings. But then it evolved into jewelry, and then that evolved into rings, so…I don't know where the line is when it comes to crossovers, or whether I should reclassify the story, but,**

**I do not own Kamichama Karin and I do not own Harry Potter!**

"Two Harrys?" Lily repeated as they talked in hushed voices in the corner of the common room.

"I know." James said, "I don't get it either."  
He'd finished telling her about what the sorting hat had warned him about.

Lily's brow knitted together in a puzzled manner.

"Two Harrys…" She trailed off, "Maybe…like another personality? The hat said he couldn't reveal what was going on in his head." She crossed her arms now, thinking about the possibility.

If there was another Harry…then what?

"Ron was all confused, now that I think about it." James recalled, "When he first saw Harry, he said there was something wrong with him."

They were working with only half the pieces to this puzzle. Ron Weasley probably had the other half. Or, if nothing else, another bundle of pieces that he too was trying to put together.

Lily tapped one finger against her arm. Normally, in a time like this she'd start compiling a list.

It was a habit she'd picked up during her time working as an Order member.

Lists provided structure. Sometimes, if you put all the weird things on display, you could see connections that you hadn't seen before.

"Well, sweetie," Lily leaned back on the couch, "There's a lot of things that don't make sense, isn't there? Why did Ron Weasley travel back in time in the first place? He has one of those rings. Rings that we know nothing about. Does that mean he's acquainted with our necromancer? Are they working together or separately?"  
Of course Lily would come up with a ton of questions James hadn't yet.

"What's his connection to Harry?" James voiced his own question.

That particular query bothered him the most. Was Ron an ally or an enemy?

"So…Regulus?" James asked Lily, "To be clear…he's…he's Sirius's brother, right?"  
"Yup." Lily's lips twitched upwards at the corner, "I never really knew him that well. I wish I had, he's so easy to tease!"  
The pour guy, James thought.

He didn't dare voice this thought out loud though. Instead, he said,

"So…why was Regulus brought back? I mean, I get you and me. The necromancer talked about protecting Harry and we had some connection to him, you know? But Regulus?"  
Lily shrugged her shoulders uncaringly,

"He's not a bad guy under all that broodiness."  
She'd said the same thing about Snape, James recalled. Although, James had to grudgingly admit that she'd been right about that.

Lily smirked,

"Thinking about Snape?"

James grimaced,

"Well…I guess he wasn't that bad."  
"That looked like it hurt. I'm proud of you."  
"Thanks." James said dryly, then rolled his eyes, "I don't think he was that bad a guy, looking back on it. We just rubbed each other the wrong way."  
Lily's eyes sparkled,

"All that pent up energy…you'd think you were more interested in rubbing him the right way."  
James turned green,

"I hate when you do that."

"Come on, you like it when I talk that way about other women. Double standard much, sweetie?"

James's face turned red,

"I never said I liked it."  
"You didn't have to."  
"Maybe I should clarify."

"I won't stop you."

They'd gotten off track. One of the reasons Lily had chosen James was due to how much fun she had teasing him. James, who had broken down into a blubbering, blushing mess the first time Lily had started the whole thing, vowed that one day he would beat her at her own game.

In other words, love at first sight.

"I suppose." Lily gave in, "We are eleven. I'm going to have to hold back a little, aren't I?"  
"However will you handle it?" James asked her dryly.

"Such a pity." Lily hummed, "Alright, well…We can corner Weasley tomorrow and ask him what's what. So far, I haven't seen anything indicating he's rotten. Still…look out for him. Last time I was in the boy's dorms, I was kicked out."

"Yes…I was there." James drew in a deep breath, "Alright. Tomorrow. We'll talk to Weasley."  
"Tomorrow." Lily nodded her head in confirmation.

Ron Weasley had the bed right beside Harry. James wasn't happy about this. He noticed the moment he'd gone up to the dorms.

Ron looked over at him. He hesitated, then dipped his chin in James's direction,

"Wanna switch?"

The question caught him off guard.

"What?" James wondered.

"Beds." Ron said, "Wanna switch beds?" His eyes traveled over to Harry a moment who was already sleeping.

"I…" James trailed off uncertainly.

"The way I see it, we wanna protect the same thing." Ron said in a lowered voice, "Besides…you're closer to him, aren't you?"

He wouldn't reveal that James was actually Harry's father resurrected from the dead. Not that anyone would believe him, but still.

Maybe James had judged him a little harshly. It wasn't like Ron had done anything particularly evil, and he hadn't gone out of his way to antagonise him or Lily. It was just that he seemed to know a little too much. Enough for them to know he was dangerous. Enough for them to keep their guard up.

James would feel a lot better sleeping in the bed beside his son, so he took up the offer with a polite nod.

"Thanks."

Ron gave a small half-shrug of acknowledgement before switching places and moving his trunk over to the bed that James had been assigned to.

"We'll talk in the morning." Ron murmured as he passed by James.

James glanced over at him once again, before returning to the task at hand, taking out his pyjamas and getting ready for bed.

…

00000000000000000

…..

The kids all got up at around seven thirty. Classes began at nine, so there was plenty of time to get ready. James knew, from experience that some of the older years slept in until eight, wanting to get that extra half-hour of sleep.

James had never considered himself a morning person. Merlin knew he was going to miss coffee (first years weren't allowed to drink coffee). Despite this, he managed to drag himself up out of bed. Harry was sitting up in his own bed. He gave a big yawn, eyes a bit watery. He blinked a few times, then stripped off his shirt and pants until he was completely naked.

"Harry! Modesty!" James quickly drew the curtains so that he was protected from view of everyone else.

"Ah. Right." Came Harry's voice.

Well, James thought, at least there weren't any girls here this time. And he knew that Harry didn't have any body image issues.

"Hey. You done changing, Jamie?" Ron's voice called.

"Um, yeah." James answered him.

"Walk with me." He said.

James moved out from behind the curtains of his room to where Ron was waiting for him in the hall. He was all dressed in his Hogwarts robes.

"Harry will be fine." Ron said.

James was uncertain. Part of him thought that if he wasn't here that he might just walk out into the common room naked.

No…no. He couldn't be that bad, right? No one was that bad.

"Alright." James agreed.

Ron was right. He needed to give Harry a bit of space. He was eleven. He was supposed to have some space now that he was going to Hogwarts.

James allowed Ron to go first, leading them out of the dormitory. He kept his eyes on him. Just in case he tried something (although what he'd try at Hogwarts was anyone's guess).

The kids were all starting to filter out of their dorms to head down to the great hall for some breakfast. Ron gestured for him to go over to the corner with him.

"Er…should we really be talking like this out in the open?" James wondered.

"What could two first years possibly be talking about that would garner the attention of eavesdroppers?" Ron asked him with a raised eyebrow, "People are moving along." He noted two third year girls rushing out the doors into the halls, "Rushing right past without a care. It's morning. First day of Hogwarts. The kids are all excited to be here. To start their classes." His blue eyes moved over to James, "No one will pay us any mind. I have questions for you. Like, how did you come back from the dead? You, your wife…and Regulus Black, if I'm not mistaken."  
James's brow furrowed. Should he tell him the truth? Well, it wasn't like lying would get him anywhere. It served no advantage when James hardly understood it himself.

"A man." James said, "I remember dying, then I met this man who claimed he was a necromancer. He used the DNA of two dead bodies to create this one. My own dead body, and the body of a muggle woman who died of a drug overdose. I didn't know her." James still felt guilty about the whole thing, even though it wasn't his fault.

"The necromancer told me I need to help get rid of you-know-who once and for all and protect Harry. I…I figured, if I was being granted a chance like that, then Harry must really be in danger."  
Ron's eyes searched his face for any trace of deceit. He didn't seem to find any.

"I have questions for you too." James said, "Who are you? You're a time traveler, right? But what are you to Harry? How are you related? Is Harry in danger? The Sorting Hat seemed to think so and if you know what's going on…"  
Ron closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He pulled on the chain around his neck so that James could see the ring dangling from the end.

"This is the Ring of Chronos." He decided to explain instead, "With it, I can manipulate time."  
"That's…insane." James stared down at the ring, "It's…really that powerful?"  
"They're called the Rings of the Gods. There's a reason for that." Ron said, tucking the ring back in his shirt, "However, the Ring of Chronos will only work for me." His eyes traveled down to James's hand where his own ring was, "Just as that ring will only work for you."  
"But…how?" James wondered.

"They're a bit like wands." Ron said, "They choose their wielder. However, unlike wands, their allegiance can't be swayed. Not easily anyways. As for my relationship with Harry…I think the best way to put it is that the creator of the Rings of the Gods was Harry Potter himself."  
James's eyes widened,

"Harry? My son? He created them?"  
Ron nodded his eyes very serious now.

"No one knows how he did it. I met Harry in his first year onboard the Hogwarts Express. He was my first friend. My best friend." Ron clenched his hands into fists, "Like most kids, I was pretty care-free. I wanted to make friends and when I found out who Harry was, I was kind of enchanted. Just a bit. Harry's name is known everywhere, after all. However…there was something about Harry. Like he was holding onto something he could never tell anyone about. He'd been hurt by someone, I think. Like, really hurt." Ron's lips thinned into a line when he talked about it, "And then…there were attempts on his life."  
"What?" James whispered harshly.

Ron looked back up at him,

"Assassination attempts. In first year, Quirrell was being possessed by Voldemort. It was the perfect disguise. But in second year too, he possessed a student and set a basilisk on the school. Thankfully, Harry killed it."  
"Uh…" James's mind went numb, "Harry…killed a basilisk?"

"When he was twelve, yeah." Ron looked amused, "At thirteen, he warded off a swarm of hundreds of dementors with a corporeal patronus charm."

"Harry did?" James wanted to clarify.

"Yes."

"When he was thirteen?"

"Harry's very talented." Ron said in a way that said the word 'talent' hardly did a justice to what Harry was.

"He was pretty good in most of his classes, but Defense Against the Dark Arts was where he really shone. He was never really one for theory, but he was always ahead of everyone else in the practical aspect of…well, everything. He didn't like potions for the first few years, but that's all because of Snape. The two of them had this really complicated relationship…but that's not really important right now." Ron shook his head, "When Harry was seventeen, he dueled Voldemort to the death and won. But…after that, something happened. I couldn't tell you what it was, but Harry locked himself off from the world. He was collaborating with this man. A magical researcher from Canada. He grew all secretive and then…he called me over to his house one day. He was all scared. Nervous. He said something was wrong with the timeline. That the world we knew was going to vanish and time was going to end. That's when he introduced me to the Rings of the Gods."

"And," James stopped him, "That's when you were sent back into the past?"  
"Pretty much." Ron said, "No big deal, right? Just go back and save the world. Only…there's a lot of weird things that keep popping up."  
"Like me and Lily?" James guessed.

"Like you and Lily." Ron restated, "Bringing people back from the dead sounds like one of those powers. Like someone is using one of the Rings of the Gods."  
"They can even do that?" James looked back at his ring again, twisting it around his finger curiously.

"Yeah." Ron nodded, "I guess you could say…if a wand was a gun, then these rings are like freaking nuclear war heads."

James paled.

Okay. Now he was a little freaked out.

"I don't get how it works." Ron continued, "Like…it shouldn't be possible for someone to use that much power. I'd be careful about using your ring. We don't know yet if there's any side-effects yet and Harry never said."  
"Right." James said, still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that he was just carrying something that powerful around with him.

And then another question popped into his head,

"The Sorting Hat said there was something wrong with Harry. That there were two of him."  
"It said that?" Ron furrowed his brow, thinking about this new information.

It seemed he hadn't been kept in the know.

"Yeah." James said, "I'm guessing…that's not what happened last time?"  
"No." Ron shook his head again, "The Harry Potter I met this time is different from the one I met before. This one acts all dazed and…I don't know. He doesn't act like Harry. Also, the Harry Potter I've known for most of my life, wears glasses. I can't think of anything I've done to change something like that. But…if what you said about that necromancer is true, then it's not just me who's messing with the timeline. Two Harrys…"

From the look on Ron's face, James would have to guess he didn't know what that meant either.

"I thought he might have been an imposter at first." Ron confessed, "But the Sorting Hat would have said. At least, I'm pretty sure it would. I remember Hermione once mentioning something about that. About the hat refusing to sort imposters. Honestly, I was worried it might refuse to sort me."  
"Yeah." James chuckled, not having wanting to admit to the fact that he hadn't realized this possibility until he was already being sorted.

"But Harry isn't an imposter." Ron said, "Something must have happened to him. Something that happened before he arrived at Hogwarts. For there to be two Harrys…" he tried to formulate a theory, "The only way that could be possible is if he were either a time traveler as well, or he was split in two somehow."  
"Lily thought there might be two separate personalities in his head." James suggested.

"Maybe." Ron said, "I don't know much about psychology so I suppose it's possible." He let out a small sigh of frustration.

"Well…we can guess on it all day but I don't think we'll get anywhere now." James said, "We have classes and if we don't hurry, we'll miss breakfast."  
"Yeah." Ron said, getting up off the couch, "You're probably right. Not much can be done on an empty stomach."  
They needed more information first and James's head was swirling with even more questions.

Why had Harry built the Rings of the Gods in the first place? Why give it to Ron? Why not go back in time himself? What sort of catastrophe had destroyed the future? If the Rings of the Gods worked only for specific people, did that mean Harry had made the ring James had for him specifically?

But these weren't questions Ron would be able to answer. It seemed he was just as much in the dark as James was.


End file.
